Of The Lion Who Grew Scales
by The Deadly Bunny
Summary: A story that follows our young heroines, Ginny and Hermione down a path of self-discovery and constant battle with their changing views of the world. Both of them find themselves being far from the people they thought they'd become, and they realise they don't mind it one bit. Rated M for language and adult themes in later chapters. Also, I suck at summaries :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Yep, i guess i really mustered up the courage(and time, and energy etc) to actually try to publish my first work!**

**I'll get this over with real quick, just a few bits of information for you before we get on with it. I'll try to update as often as possible, but I can't promise anything becouse school, real life and inspiration are some taxing enemies to deal with.**

**Now for the story, let's just pretend that something horrible happened to Voldemort and he won't be bothering our dearest characters anymore, but otherwise, this story is cannon up till OOTP. Enjoy! **

* * *

God, how weird it felt, standing on the narrow paved path that lead up to the Burrow. For years, this place had felt like a second home to her, but looking at the asymmetric house now just sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. Everything was just so wrong! What used to be a sanctuary where she would spend summers with her best friends was now a completely foreign place.

Their sixth year had ended with much turmoil and drama and Hermione wasn't exactly looking forward to facing its consequences; a thing which she had been avoiding doing the whole summer, spending it with her parents in Italy instead.

She was sporting a nice, caramel tan and her mother had insisted on going shopping for some girly clothes, so Hermione was dressed in a beautiful summer dress with a flower print that ended just above her knees. Unfortunately, the radiant way she looked on the outside was the complete opposite of how she felt.

She had been avoiding the Weasley residence for two reasons: Ron and Ginny. The former finally mustered up the courage to ask her out sometime in the middle of the previous year and they ended up dating, but their long awaited relationship was a big disappointment to Hermione. Instead of keeping their teasing dynamics, Ron became all serious and as time went by he kept pressuring her both in the emotional and physical department; he wanted sex and declarations of love, while she wasn't ready to give him any of the two. When they got into a serious argument about it just at the end of the year, she stormed out and they hadn't spoken since. She wasn't even sure what their relationship status was at the moment.

The other problem - Ginny. Hermione had always had problems making friends amongst girls because she just wasn't interested in the things they were, but she felt closer to the redhead than any other fellow Gryffindor and that meant a lot to her. Last year, though, Ginny had gone too far in a desperate attempt to get the attention of the Boy Who Lived and the not too-well thought out scheme backfired right in her face and actually got her expelled. Apparently there were no exceptions for rule-breaking foolishness unless Harry Potter was involved.

Weasleys did, however, put their relatively close relationship with Dumbledore to good use. The old man let himself be convinced to accept the youngest redhead back into Hogwarts, provided she catch up on the things her classmates had worked on during the last month of school and pass her final exams with at least Exceeds Expectations. Very quickly after she was expelled, the girl stopped answering Hermione's letters and the brunette was quite a bit worried.

Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself one last time, before she walked up to the door of the Burrow and opened it wide, stepping into the well-known house.

* * *

She chose the middle of the afternoon to arrive, which would give her enough time to prepare herself before she was thrust into stressful situations like, say, any meal at the Weasley residence. It was currently around 4 o'clock, which meant that everyone would be scattered around the house and that suited her perfectly well. Straightening her dress, she stepped into the living room and quietly sneaked up on Molly, who was reading a book on the couch. Hugging her from behind and whispering "Boo!" in her ear, she immediately dissolved into giggles while the redheaded matriarch shrieked in surprise. "Hermione, it's lovely to see you, but if you ever do that again, I swear I will hex you cross-eyed!" Their laughter quickly subsided into relaxed smiles. "You missed lunch on purpose, didn't you? Ah, teenage girls and their obsession with how they look... But you, my dear, are the picture of loveliness." That got a bit of a blush into the brunette's cheeks and she fiddled with the hem of her dress. "Now run along honey, the others will be somewhere around the house." With a shy smile, Hermione nodded to the motherly woman and left the room to head for the stairs.

She opted to find Ginny first - she really didn't feel up to confronting Ron just yet. Climbing to the third floor, the younger girl's door was just to her left and Hermione felt a shiver run down her spine. Somehow, she had a feeling that the redhead she would find inside would be very changed from the Ginny that left school prematurely a few months before. Knocking on the worn door, she waited for a while, but slowly entered after she got no reply.

Her friend had never been the tidiest person and the brunette was used to entering a room that looked like a bomb exploded in it, so imagine her surprise when the bedroom before her was so clean, that it barely looked lived in at all. And no sign of the girl, either. Seeing as she wasn't inside, Hermione let herself snoop around a bit.

The bed was perfectly made, not a wrinkle to be seen, the floor spotless and the writing desk empty except for a pile of papers neatly stacked on the side. Even the closet proved to have everything in its own place, instead of the huge cloth pile she was used to seeing. Nothing could have worsened her worries for the redhead the way this did.

Closing the door behind her, having found out that Ginny obviously wasn't inside, she descended the stairs and left for the backyard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Giving you a treat here and uploading the second chapter too. Sincerely hoping you'll repay me with some reviewing love, if you know what i mean *wink*. Yeah imma let you get to the story.**

* * *

The backyard wasn't empty, but the person she was searching for wasn't there. Instead, the united exclamation of her name from the mouths of both the Weasley twins caught the attention of the other two males hovering in the air on their broomsticks. All four of them landed in a circle around her and she was enveloped in a huge group hug that would have probably suffocated her had it lasted a few seconds more. "Jesus, I haven't even been her for half an hour and already you try to kill me?" she said with a smile and the boys offered her sheepish grins, although the one on Ron's face seemed somehow strained. "Have any of you seen Ginny?" The smile disappeared from their collective faces with lightning speed as they cast their gazes to the floor. "She's probably flying out in the field," she got an answer from George, but his solemn tone did nothing to calm her.

Hermione almost chewed through her lip before she got the next words out and she would have laughed at the boys' shocked expressions, if she wasn't busy calming herself. "So, can I borrow one of them?" His mouth still half open, Harry handed her his Firebolt. "Just be careful, Hermione. We all know flying isn't your strongest suit..." She nodded absentmindedly and stroked the smooth wood of the handle before slowly mounting the broom and fixing her skirt to make sure everything was as it should be.

It startled her when she started rising at the slightest nudge to the wood - Harry hadn't been kidding about its responsiveness - and she headed for the field with a steady speed that wasn't too much for her to bear. The brunette knew what the so-called 'field' was supposed to be, but she'd never been, so it took some time before she found it. It was quite a big grassy clearing in the middle of the sparse forest, with three wooden hoops on each side; a homemade Quidditch field. Even though it wasn't far away from the house, the Weasleys only used it when the oldest two brothers were home, so that they were able to make proper teams.

Ginny was there, zooming through the air on her broom, doing manoeuvres that looked mighty dangerous to Hermione. She also noticed that her shirt was drenched with sweat - the girl must have been pushing herself for a long time. Instead of calling out immediately, she hovered by the side for a while and just watched her work. She moved with the ease and grace of a bird in the air and it looked mesmerizing. The brunette had only ever seen Quidditch like that that one time at the final of the World Cup. To say she was very impressed would be a total understatement.

"Ginny!" No response. "**Ginny!**" This time she tried it louder, but the younger girl didn't even twitch. "**GINNY!**" That sounded more like a roar than anything else and it finally got the redhead's attention. She pulled the headphones out of her ears and stared at Hermione with incredulity.

Even though it was now crystal clear why the younger girl hadn't heard her calling, she was more shocked by the fact that Ginny was listening to music on an iPod. It wasn't like the Weasleys despised muggles or anything, but she had never seen them use a Muggle device, save for Mr. Weasley. They were both shell shocked, looking at each other with slack jaws, but the redhead found her voice first. "What the hell, Hermione! Are you trying to get yourself killed? We both know you shouldn't be allowed within 10 feet of a broom!" She flew closer to the edge of the field, where the other girl was hovering. "And what's with the outfit? I thought you were against stereotypes and shit."

The brunette couldn't really think of a witty reply, she was too busy staring at the Gryffindor with eyes wide open. "Umm... Harry's broom is really nice. I get why you guys like to fly." At the mention of that name, the brown eyes of the younger girl darkened and she looked away briefly, before re-establishing eye contact. The sheer coldness in her features was enough to chill Hermione to the bones. "Really? I wouldn't know. He'd never let me try it out." Not just her look, the ice in her voice was positively arctic too. Of course, the brunette immediately realised she shouldn't have brought up the Boy Who Lived, him being an obvious sore spot for the ginger. It was no surprise, seeing as she had gotten expelled trying to impress him.

* * *

Thing was, at the end of last year Ginny took it upon herself to organise the celebration for when they would win the Quidditch cup. The goal was for Harry to realise how not-childish she was by planning a party with enough alcohol to kill an elephant and making him notice her. All was well until sometime around midnight, when a very drunk redhead approached the hero of the day and was unceremoniously rejected. He hadn't been trying to be mean, he just genuinely wasn't interested in the Weasley girl and devastated, she ran out of the common room. In a stroke of fabulous luck, none other than Professor Snape rounded that exact corner and caught a drunk, crying Gryffindor out of bed, hours after curfew.

Filled with glee, he basically dragged her to McGonnagall's office, where he handed her over to a groggy professor who'd just been awoken in the middle of the night. Things really took a turn for the worse from that moment on, when the Head of House entered the common room and faced the absolute chaos that reigned within. Seeing as she obviously couldn't just expel everyone from the fourth year up, she searched for the instigator and quickly found her after a few drunken fingers had been pointed. Upon seeing that, the terrified girl puked on Minerva's night slippers for good measure.

Needless to say, she was expelled the very next day and her parents were beyond furious when they were notified to come pick her up. The Weasley's fuck-up quickly became a well known story throughout Hogwarts and even if she hadn't been expelled, the pressure would probably have been horrifying.

Hermione had to applaud herself on the fact that she had immediately managed to turn the younger girl hostile, before she could even really find out how her friend was faring. "I'm sorry Ginny, let's just forget I brought him up..." The redhead's answer was silence and a perfect poker face that gave away nothing, which she hesitantly took as a sign to continue.

"So... It's been a long, long time, Ginny! How are you, how are things around here?" "Peachy," was the sarcastic reply. With a sigh, Hermione opened a new theme. Maybe she'd eventually find something that the redhead was actually willing to talk about.

No such luck. After asking a few questions and getting simple, one-phrased answers accompanied with a raised eyebrow, she finally lost her temper for a bit. "For God's sake, Ginny, why won't you just talk to me? What have I ever done to you? We used to be such good friends!" For a moment there, it almost looked like the younger girl was about to reply sincerely, but then she seemingly caught herself and steeled her surprised expression into a cold one again. "Yes, well, things change Hermione. People change." With those words, she apparently deemed this conversation over, because she smoothly turned her broom around and plugged her earphones back in while returning to the pitch.

The brunette obviously didn't expect to find the same girl that she used to spend summers with in the Burrow, but the change was so drastic that even though prepared for it, she was extremely shocked. And the thing that bothered her the most was that she had almost gotten to the old Ginny back there, but then the younger girl brought her walls back up and she just couldn't figure out why.

With a disappointed frown she too turned the broom around and slowly flew back in the direction of the big family house.

* * *

**Just a quick note: i realise Ginny might be slightly OOC, but i'll try to justify that as the story progresses. Bunny out.**


	3. Chapter 3

The dinner was one of the more unpleasant meals she had experienced in the household through all her years. Even though the twins attempted to make the atmosphere lighter with a few jokes, they soon stopped trying seeing that they had no effect on the gathered people.

Sure, the food was delicious as was expected since Molly was cooking, but even the exceptional flavours rolling over her taste buds did nothing to lift Hermione's spirits. As was usual for her, she spent the rest of the afternoon catching the sun's rays and thinking about the situation with Ginny from every perspective she could think of. She didn't really have much to go on, which made the whole process harder, but in the end she drew a conclusion that seemed very sensible to her.

Ginny was an emotional wreck, that much was obvious. She felt betrayed by the people she had thought her friends for many years on end, but most importantly, she was facing the reality of the fact that the boy she believed to be her true love since she was a little girl wasn't interested in her the slightest bit. To him, she'd always be his best friend's little sister. Hermione realised that the redhead was most probably having an identity crisis - the foundations of her sense of self were shaken up and she was reinventing herself. The older girl wasn't so sure that she liked that - or the person her friend was becoming.

But if Ginny didn't want to talk to her she could hardly do anything to help her out of the downward spiral. As they finished dinner and slowly got up to head to their respective rooms, Hermione's legs took her to the redhead's room of their own volition, as she always stayed with the younger Gryffindor when she was at the Burrow. Upon opening the door to the impersonal room, she was faced with a suprised Ginny. "Excuse me, what the fuck are you doing here?" Shocked by the strong language the younger girl used to use so rarely, she stumbled over her reply. "I-i'm sorry, I thought I was staying here?" Levelling her with a cold stare, the redhead just lifted an eyebrow. In another situation, it would have been sexy. "You sure as hell aren't. You can use the twins' room. They have their own flat above the store," she dismissed her and turned back to her previous occupation, which was lounging on the bed and reading a book on potions. Stammering another sorry, Hermione closed the door and headed to the stairs to get to the room she'd apparently be staying in. She was surprised to realise she could barely hold back tears.

When Ginny had been rude and snarky on the pitch, she had thought that maybe that was her way of dealing with things. She was confident that when they would be sharing a room and the younger girl would grow accustomed to her presence once more, she would open up and Hermione would be able to fix this whole mess. The fact that the redhead dismissed her so easily hurt like a bitch, not to mention the deep sense of uselessness she was feeling.

She dragged herself up to the twins' room and angrily wiped the lone tear that had slipped down her cheek. _I won't cry about it like a little girl, damn it!_ Refusing to let despair take over, Hermione went to sleep with thoughts of getting close to Ginny on her mind.

* * *

Despite Hermione's best efforts through the next few days, she couldn't get an inch closer to the redhead. The latter seemed to take some newfound delight in replying to everyone's questions with antagonistic remarks, which was slowly driving the whole house mad. In fact, the only time you really saw Ginny smile was when she shut someone down with a comment so dripping with sarcasm that it was actually gathering in a puddle on the floor - and even those rare smiles weren't of the pleasant kind.

After an especially nasty verbal sparring on the corridor, Hermione was gloomily heading to breakfast, thinking of how well the used-to-be Gryffindor would fit in with the Slytherin crowd. The little pile of letters lying on the table served to lighten her mood some. "The Hogwarts letters arrived!" Her shout was loud enough that it reached the top floor and she was sure that if she could, she'd be hearing the boys' sleepy groans right now. Not that she cared at the moment.

When she took the envelope addressed to her name and started slowly tearing it open, her excitement was bubbling to higher and higher levels. The moment of truth, she got it or she didn't. She couldn't wait anymore and Hermione covered her eyes with one hand while she turned the envelope with the other and shook. Upon hearing the telltale clink of something metal against the wood, she let out a hysterical scream and grabbed the object, patience forgotten. "Oh my god," was the unbelieving whisper she let out while gently holding the badge.

Harry came stomping down the stairs in the next instant, wand in hand and shirtless, an alert look in his eyes, but all he saw was his friend, smiling from ear to ear. "Why the hell did you scream like that, you crazy woman?" he sighed, realising they weren't in any danger. In answer, she held up her new badge. "I made Head Girl, Harry." Her smile now infecting him, too, he hugged the brunette and spun her around. "That's great, Hermione! I knew you could do it! You know you're perfect for this job, right?" Giggling at him to let her go, she encouraged him to open his own envelope. Even though she was aware the Head Boy and Girl were traditionally from different houses, she couldn't help but hope that maybe they'd made an exception in his case. Deep down though, she knew he was too much of a troublemaker for that - he hadn't even gotten a Prefect badge, after all.

What he did get though was the Quidditch captain title and another round of hugging and congratulations followed before they took seats at the table and looked at everything else that was in their letters. While they read over their book lists Molly entered the kitchen with a basket full of freshly picked vegetables for lunch and eyed the two teens with an amused twinkle in her eyes, thinking of her own school days. Still smiling, she pointed out to the boy that he wasn't wearing a shirt, which brought a lovely blush to his face while he raced back up the stairs. Turning to the stove to start on the breakfast, Molly now posed a question to Hermione. "Anything interesting in that letter of yours?" Happily, the girl in question waltzed up to the woman and gave her a big tight hug before showing her her shiny new badge. After the congratulations, the eggs were already done and the brunette sat back to the table to enjoy them.

After a few minutes, the woman's youngest son came into the kitchen accompanied by Harry as well and was bombarded with the good news, finding out that he too got an extra badge, keeping his Prefect status. They chatted excitedly over breakfast, certain disagreements temporarily forgotten and decided that they would get their books from the alley the very same day.

Sticking to the plan, they were all gathered by the fireplace in a half an hour and floo'd one by one to Flourish and Blotts.

* * *

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed or favorited this story; you guys give me the drive to keep writing this. Now, if you find any grammatical mistakes, please point them out to me so that i can correct them, since this story does not have a beta. Bunny out.**


	4. Chapter 4

There was only one day left before the teens would board the train to Hogwarts and Hermione knew she couldn't put it off anymore. Despite the fabulous job she did of avoiding this talk for the past week and a half, the brunette still realised it needed to be done. She was sick and tired of not knowing how to act around Ron when her hands were already full with Ginny anyway.

Mentally convincing herself that it really was necessary, she rapped gently on the boy's door. Inside the room she found both of the best friends and kindly asked for Harry to leave them to talk alone. The uncomfortable looks on the golden trio's faces all gave out their feelings, but the green-eyed boy left the room without complaints. Taking a seat on the bed, Hermione fiddled with the hem of her dress, contemplating how to breach this subject.

"Sooo, Ron... I understand that things have been tense between us for some time now and I want to fix that. I really valued your friendship and I'd like to have it back, but we can't go there until we talk things out." She gave a nervous laugh before she ploughed on, knowing that it'd be easier to get it all out in one shot. "Last year didn't end all that well for us... I know it's been almost three months, but we still haven't talked about what that meant for us..." Raising her eyes to Ron's blue ones, she just didn't feel the same warm tingle that she used to, the feeling replaced by a cold void where her feelings for the redheaded boy used to lay. "I think we've been over for a while now and we both know it, Ron."

She was surprised that he hadn't interrupted her sometime in the middle of her speech, but now she really wanted him to say something and yet he still stayed silent. It was quite unnerving.

"Is there someone else?" The boy's words were spoken quietly, but knowing him, that tone meant there was a simmering pool of white hot anger just underneath. She was appalled by his suggestion and barely reined her own temper in when she replied him, although her shock was clearly evident in the way she spoke. "How dare you! You really think I'd go behind your back and cheat? Do you really think that low of me, Ron?" Her voice had become choked and shaky about halfway through - the stress, piled up from days of silently dealing with Ginny's behaviour finally hit straight home. "Accusing me of unfaithfulness, when it was you who doomed this relationship! You were the one who kept wanting more and more, instead of waiting for me to be ready to give those things freely! You think I didn't try to make it work? I can't believe you, you stupid...freckled...Aargh! For god's sake, I can't even insult you properly!"

With a strangled cry of frustration she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her as she rushed to find refuge in the twins' room. It seemed that her arguments with Ron would always end up like this, even though this time he - surprisingly, might she add - actually hadn't shouted back at her.

As soon as the door of her sleeping quarters was firmly closed, she dissolved into tears, seeing no point in trying to hold them back. She'd had romantic feelings for Ron for so long that it was hard to take in that this chapter of her life was really over. There was no denying that the only things she felt for him right now were anger and remorse - she really had wanted them to work, after all.

After a while, the tears stopped coming and Hermione was right down exhausted. Even though it was barely 7 o'clock in the evening she just curled up on the bed and fell asleep.

* * *

Hermione woke up extremely early the next day. It was just after dawn, which meant it had to be somewhere between 5 and 6 a.m. After calculating that she'd slept for almost ten hours, she thought it no wonder that she felt invigorated, refreshed and more relaxed than she had in a long while. Even though she wanted to deny it to herself at first, she had to admit that she was feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off her. She had finally talked to Ron (never mind the fact that they didn't actually solve anything) and as far as Hermione was concerned, she had done her part of the talking. When Weasley was ready to come and apologise, then they could talk some more. If that never happened... Well, it would just further prove the point that they didn't work together.

The brunette got up with ease and stretched her limbs, but then she realised a tiny thing. In all the excitement of last evening, she had completely forgotten to pack. _God bless you, magic._ Having already turned 17 the last autumn (she was, after all, almost a whole year older than Harry), she could cast freely and therefore had all her things neatly stacked in the trunk in under 20 minutes. She took a quiet trip to the bathroom to make herself at least semi- presentable and came out another half an hour later.

During the summer, the witch had thought a lot about her future, as she would after all be starting her last year of school, and had come to some conclusions. She was tired of living according to other people's expectations and needed to start doing things because she wanted to, not because she was expected to. One of the big changes which followed that decision was the change in her appearance. She had cut her hair to a short pixie hairstyle and added a few dresses to her wardrobe. The brunette was extremely curious to see people react to her new look, seeing as the Weasleys just told her that she'd look good no matter what she decided to wear. She was both proud and satisfied with her decision, especially the haircut - it made mornings sooo much easier.

Donning a pretty blue dress, she basically hopped down the stairs, a beautiful smile lighting up her face. It was a day for happiness and she felt great anyway, the mouth-watering scent flowing out of the kitchen only strengthening that. Molly was already busy at work, cooking up a feast to give them a nice send-off and Hermione was happy to offer her help to the woman. Getting tasked with preparing the table, the brunette got on with it and chatted excitedly while she did so. "A lovely day, isn't it? Too bad we're leaving; otherwise it would surely be perfect for a bit of sunbathing. Oh my God Molly, this smells amazing!" the girl exclaimed while leaning over to get to the cutlery before getting back to the table, even humming a cheerful tune to herself.

The Weasley woman couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I see someone is excited to go back to school..." Hermione simply shot her a gleaming smile and put the last plate in its rightful place. "Well, of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

After breakfast, things at the Weasley household got hectic. People were running around the house, packing their final necessities and screaming at each other. It was a yearly ritual, really. In complete contrast to the chaos reigning in the Burrow, the brunette was sitting calmly on a sofa in the living room and reading a book on healing spells. She was completely oblivious to the things happening around her. She didn't have to worry anyway, since she, Harry and Ron would be apparating to King's Cross, which meant they could have almost another hour and a half more than usual before leaving. She didn't mind spending it reading in the least.

* * *

**Again, huge hugs to everyone who followed, favorited or reviewed this story. It means a lot to me that people are even reading it, the thought of someone actually liking it is too abstract for me to process just yet... I hope you like this next installment! Oh, I'd also like to say that although I have been updating a lot up till now, I can't promise anything about the frequency of my updates, since i am not that kind of writer who always has one or two chapters already written up. I write this as i go. Anyway, enough of my rambling! Bunny out.**


	5. Chapter 5

**In case it might be confusing to some of you, this following chapter is written from Ginny's point of view. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ginny couldn't sleep. She'd been up half the night worrying herself into madness, until she finally managed to get two, maybe three hours of rest. Now she was awake again and there was no way she could go back to sleep this time.

A million thoughts were running through her head as she made to slowly get up. Today, she would have to face the schoolmates who had so shamelessly given her up. So much about Gryffindor loyalty, eh? When good ol' McGonagall wanted them to point a finger, they willingly did so. Their own pretty asses came first, naturally.

Thoughts like this one and many more had plagued the redhead's mind through the whole summer. She had grown to be more bitter and cynical than any girl her age should be, which showed greatly in her attitude. Ginny simply couldn't bring herself to trust anyone anymore and developed a mechanism to keep people at arm's length. She just didn't care if they hated her for it.

Instead, her main focus through the summer had become Quidditch. She wasn't a bad student and she really excelled in some classes, but mostly, she was average. What she wasn't average at, though, was flying, and she made sure this summer that she crossed the line from good to amazing. The career of a professional Quidditch player appealed very much to her.

As the girl descended the stairs to get some breakfast, she could feel the dread in her guts. She hadn't even realised up till now how afraid she was of going back to school and facing her used-to-be friends. There was no helping it though, since she had to at least finish the sixth year before she could decide to quit Hogwarts. Resigned to her fate, she quickly ate a small breakfast as to not run into any other early risers before holing up in her room until it was time to go.

As usual, she and her mother had to use muggle means of transportation to get to King's Cross, just as well as they arrived on platform 9 3/4 only five minutes before eleven. Typical.

Molly suddenly burst into tears and hugged her daughter close to her breast, telling her to take care and that they all love her, no matter how mean she had been to them over the holidays. At that, Ginny felt a pang of regret. "I promise I'll take care, mom. Don't you worry," she awkwardly tried to console the weeping woman and then squeezed out of her embrace. "I really have to go now, though. Bye." With those words, she rushed to get on the train as the last calls for boarding resonated on the platform.

A sole minute later, they began to move. King's Cross disappeared from sight and was soon replaced by grassy fields, while Ginny was slowly moving down the hall, trying to find an empty compartment. The sinking feeling in her guts was now stronger than ever, intensifying with every familiar face she spotted on the crowded train. Those who recognised her as well mostly adopted shocked expressions upon seeing her.

She finally realised that there was no way she'd be able to find an empty compartment, so she opted for one that was occupied by two kids that looked like they were first years. If nothing else, she'd at least be able to intimidate them into leaving her alone. She couldn't exactly do that with older students, after all.

Getting out the headphones she kept in her pocket, she plugged them into her iPod and leaned her head on the window, completely ignoring the fearful looking pair that shared her compartment. If she even spared them a glance, she would have probably dissolved into laughter. The boy and girl were literally frozen in their spots.

The two first years forgot about her presence after a while and resumed their chat, although she couldn't hear it over the music in her ears. About two hours later, the trolley lady came knocking on their door. She pressed stop on her iPod and got up to buy a few sweets to sustain her on the journey. The old woman soon moved on and Ginny returned to her seat but decided against going back to music. Instead, she got a book from her trunk and made herself comfortable.

* * *

Reading about potions, hours simply flew by for the redhead. Besides Quidditch, it was what she was by far best at and the fact that Snape was a compete jerk just made it more challenging for her. Before she knew it, the train started slowing down and with growing dread the girl got up and exited the compartment. The corridors were full of students chatting excitedly while moving towards the exit and the redhead let her hair cover her face, trying to blend with the crowd. She had gotten used to solitude and the sight of so many people - especially people who she knew would judge her – unnerved her greatly.

The thick crowd moved with the speed of a snail, but she somehow managed to get off the train and onto the carriages without any incidents. The ride up to the castle, in comparison to the train journey, seemed to last forever in Ginny's perspective. The carriage she was in was shared with her by a small group of girls who looked to be a year or two younger than her and kept whispering and sending glances in her direction. Growing less anxious and more annoyed by the second, she at first scowled at them, but when it didn't work had to actually speak up. "Either you say whatever you're whispering about to my face or shut the hell up," she hissed at the one who looked like the leader of their little group. Startled, the blonde jumped a little, but quickly returned her a defiant stare. "You're Ginny Weasley. Your expulsion was all over the school last year. How did you manage to get back in?"

With a disgusted glance at the girl's robes, the redhead noticed the red and gold tie of Gryffindor. "None of your fucking business, goldilocks," she spat back at her and crossed her arms over her chest. After seeing the blonde's colours, she really didn't want her to have some more gossip material if she noticed that her tie was black. Apparently, she didn't belong to any House anymore. She hadn't thought about it before, but now the seed was planted.

When first years came to Hogwarts, their uniforms all looked the same, but when they were sorted, the clothes magically adopted the corresponding House's colours. When she put the robes on on the train, she didn't pay much attention to it, but now she was really curious. The redhead had, after all, been of the opinion the Headmaster would simply put her back in her vacated spot. The more she thought about it though, the more it seemed that would not be the case.

The foursome of meddling girls left her alone after that, although they of course didn't stop talking about her in hushed voices. She was just stepping through the majestic front doors of Hogwarts when a bony hand firmly grasped her shoulder. It was none other than professor McGonagall. "If you'd be so kind as to come with me, Miss Weasley." Without waiting for a reply, the dignified woman turned on her heels and walked off in the opposite direction of the Great Hall. After a few minutes of silence, they reached her office. "After you."

Ginny stepped into the room that looked exactly the same as she remembered it and patiently waited for McGonagall to tell her what was going on. Instead, her ex head of house motioned towards the desk where lay none other than the Sorting Hat. "Excuse me?" she politely enquired, but the older woman sighed in a manner that clearly depicted her annoyance. "You know how the process goes, Miss Weasley. Put the hat on and it will decide which House you belong to. You can be thankful that the Headmaster has given you the option to do this in private. I imagine you being sorted in front of the whole school would have been quite the scandal." The redhead shook herself out of the shock induced stupor and cautiously approached the hat. _Here goes nothing..._ Gently gripping the fabric, she lifted the battered piece of cloth to her head and let go.

_Well, well, isn't this a surprise. I thought I was done with you Weasleys for good, but I guess I was wrong. And not just another Weasley but one I had already sorted? My, my... Well, it's a relief to get to look inside the head of a witch with an actual intellect... Sorting first years can get quite tiring, you know? And I have a whole new batch to go over in a half an hour... Oh, excuse me Miss, I got slightly carried away. Let's see here, shall we? _After that, a silence followed and Ginny was getting more anxious by the minute. What the hell was taking so long? Didn't it just have to shout Gryffindor and be done with it? Just as she was about to tell it to hurry up, the hat spoke again and her words died in her throat. _I can't believe this, but it must be... "_SLYTHERIN!"


	6. Chapter 6

**I am fully aware that I took quite a bit longer to update this time, but school has been a bitch lately. An update per week is probably a much more realistic schedule.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next installment and hopefully, you will let me know what you think too via review! Well, that's what I keep dreaming of, anyway. Bunny out ;D**

* * *

The ride to school flew by with lightning speed for Hermione. Unlike the previous years, her presence was required in the Prefects' compartment immediately. She said her goodbyes to Ron and Harry, then headed for the very front of the train.

Upon arriving there, the richly furnished room was still empty. She put her things down in one corner and immersed herself in the numerous pages laid out on the table that occupied most of the space. They were mostly pointers and directions, or reminders to set up patrol schedules and such. She heard the door slide open and turned excitedly to greet her work partner. "H-" She choked on her words and the hand she was about to offer in greeting fell limply by her side.

Malfoy had made Head Boy. _Malfoy! Who the hell came up with that brilliant idea?_ She had to begrudgingly admit that he had been an exemplary Prefect for the last two years, but that didn't mean he should be trusted with that kind of power! Who knew how he was going to abuse it!

She did have to admit though; the blonde looked quite stunned himself. Surely it didn't come as such a surprise to him that she would have gotten the position? Hermione questioned his speechlessness, but then she noticed his steely eyes slowly moving downwards, scanning her appearance. _Oh, that._ Suddenly feeling a bit warm in the face, the brunette pulled the robe tighter to herself, not used to such scrutiny.

A smirk that could only be described as Malfoyesque slowly spread across his face and he mockingly held out a hand to her. "Well, Granger, wish I could say I was surprised. Only, I'm not." With a stubborn look on her face, she took and shook his hand, choosing to be the bigger person. They were both adults who would need to work together for most of the year; she could at least try to be civil and hope he would reciprocate. "Yes, well, the achievements of some people speak for themselves. I don't believe there was much competition for my spot. Yours, though... Who did daddy pay off to get you here?"

The barb slipped out before she was even aware of it and Hermione cursed in her mind. _So much for being civil..._ It was just too easy to fall back into old patterns when it came to Malfoy. He cringed slightly, but his face remained impassive. "Well, Granger, if you ever paid any attention to someone other than yourself, you'd know that my academic achievements come in second to yours." He gave her a smile that was anything but pleasant before he finally moved further into the room. "Now you can stop being childish, we have work to do."

_Me, childish?! The little bastard, I'm gonna..._ Hermione realised in a second this was exactly the reaction he was hoping to induce, which is why she forcefully calmed herself and stepped to the table by his side. Taking deep breaths to ensure she didn't let herself become too irritated again, the brunette committed fully to examining the documents laid out and talking them over with Malfoy.

Almost an hour later, the prefects finally started filtering into the room and took seats around the vast table. The blonde and the brunette had used their time to go over all the instructions given to them and splitting the conveying of them to the other prefects in half. When everyone was gathered, the boy was first up. "I'm going to skip straight to the point, because we all need to start patrolling the train very soon. There are a few things the Head Girl and I would like to tell you..." He motioned with his head for Hermione to come stand by his side and curiously, she did so, more than slightly surprised by his change of demeanour when he wasn't dealing with her or one of her two friends. "Yes, Malfoy is quite right," she picked up where he left off. "Besides the few of you who are new to this position this year, most of you have been prefects last year or even the year before. Your duties are simple; once we all get our class schedules, a patrol chart will be written up and unless an emergency comes up, you are required to patrol on the days that you were assigned. Furthermore, you should be friendly and open to any questions or problems students might come to you with, just as you should inform one of us or a teacher if something serious is going on. As prefects, you cannot take away points, but you can report any rule breaking behaviour to someone who does. That is really all there is to a prefect position, but disrespecting any of those things can result in the revocation of your status. Any questions?" A quick look around the room and she didn't see any raised hands, which was Malfoy's cue to go on.

"Miss Granger has basically told you all you need to know. Now, first up for patrols are all the fifth years, all you need to do is walk up and down the halls and make sure no one is causing too much trouble. Well, off you go!" The youngest of people gathered in the room left one by one and the space suddenly felt so much roomier. "Now for the finishing touches, the new prefect's bathroom password is Lotus Flower. For your individual house passwords, I will pass it on to the Slytherins and Granger to Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Sixth years, you are replacing the fledglings in two hours, seventh years after that. And when they announce we are getting to Hogsmeade, get to the doors and make sure no one gets hurt in the crowd."

Lots of shuffling, chair moving and chatter followed that, as the others left, save for Hannah Abbot who came to Hermione for the password to their common room. "It's home sweet home," she smiled while passing the message on and the freckled girl giggled a bit as she too left the room.

Considering her work done for now, the brunette went to the corner of the room where she had left her things and started packing them up to get back to the company of her peers. Turning back around, she was faced with the sight of Malfoy bending over, browsing in his bag. Damn, but the boy had a _good_ ass. Blushing slightly and wondering, when the hell she started appreciating butts, she mumbled a half-assed 'See you later' and exited the compartment.

* * *

Everyone got off the train and on the carriages safe and sound and Hermione only saw the blonde again when she entered the main hall, standing by the side with Flitwick. The girl briefly wondered why McGonagall wasn't here, since she usually handled official matters like this, but didn't pay it much mind. As they were obviously waiting for her, she hurried to get to them.

"Ah, here you are, Miss Granger. Well, we can get this over with very quickly. You are both aware of the whereabouts of the Head dormitory, yes? Good, good. Well, the password is Memento Mori, but you can change it if you like, just talk to the portrait. I'll be off now, bye bye." The vertically challenged professor disappeared in the crowd while Hermione stood there, speechlessly. How could she have forgotten? After she had gotten over the initial shock of the nasty Slytherin being her work partner, she realised that he was able to put their differences aside when it came to duties and she was calmed. The shared living quarters completely slipped her mind.

And then, to top it off, a very familiar redhead walked by, wearing silver and green.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm updating again, which means I am a wonderful person and you should adore me. Well, enjoy your chapter! It's another one from Ginny's perspective. I think I might switch between them regularly! Whatever I decide, you'll see... Bunny out.**

* * *

Damn it, but she really didn't need this. It was scandalous enough that she even came back, a fact which showed itself very clearly on the journey to the castle. But being sorted into Slytherin? That was news of a completely different calibre.

What was she going to do? The snakes' nest didn't exactly rate first when it came to her preferred living conditions. It worried her what the Slytherins might do to her. She was an ex-Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake! And being the nasty pricks they were, she would have to sleep with one eye open.

Immersed in such thoughts, Ginny was slowly making her way to the Great Hall. After the initial shock had worn off, McGonagall rather coldly notified her that she would pass the information on to professor Snape and then instructed her to go get to the hall where everyone else was assembling.

She was just walking through the entrance hall when she heard her name being called. Spinning around, her eyes met Hermione's. The girl looked shocked and a little hurt, and maybe that was due to Malfoy standing right next to her. That was, until Ginny noticed his Head Boy badge and the fact that he was staring at her as well. _Oh, of course. My tie._

They just stood there, shell-shocked, and Ginny was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. "What, is there something in my hair?" she sneered, sick of being scrutinized like that, then turned on her heel and continued on the path she had been taking before. They had no right to judge her like that! It's not like she could have influenced the Hat's decision, for crying out loud! What was done was done and she refused to get all worked up because of it.

The chatter from the tables could already be heard and she was just walking through the door when a hand rested on her shoulder. "Well, well, what do we have here...? A Weasley in Slytherin? Care to explain how that came to be, Freckles?" Malfoy's voice was mocking as usual, but it didn't quite hold that malice it used to as he slowly steered them towards the house table. "It's none of your damn business, Ferret-face." She knew she was being slightly childish, but if he was calling her Freckles, she had all the right in the word to call him names too. "Oh, but I think it is," he brushed off her dismissal. "See, I like to be informed about the things that go on in my House... And right now, Weasley, you are one big mystery that I'd love to solve".

Ginny made a disgusted sound and was about to take a seat at the very end of the table, but the ferret's hand pulled her back up to her feet. "Let me give you a helpful tip, Freckles. In Slytherin, where you sit at the table is extremely important; it shows your social status. Were you to sit at the end, you would immediately establish yourself as the ultimate outsider. I'd rather you don't do that; those spots are reserved for first years. No, you..." He finally let her go and in a seemingly gentlemanly manner gestured for her to take her seat first. "You, Weasley, are sitting right in the middle, next to me."

The redhead didn't know what to think as she sat down. Why the hell was Malfoy, of all people, trying to better her position as an alleged blood traitor in a house that was in a millennia old feud with the one she previously belonged to? It just didn't sit right with her. Giggling at the completely unintended pun she had just made in her mind, the girl nervously righted her skirt. She was too busy with Malfoy to notice the people before, but now she was fully aware that the whole Slytherin table was watching her.

The most unnerving thing was that they weren't even right out staring. Except for the few younger ones with their eyes bulged out, all the older students pretended like her sitting there was old news and now they were simply checking that she behaved like she should. It just wasn't right! If an ex-Slytherin had sat themselves down at the other end of the hall with the lions, wearing their uniform no less, there would be an absolute uproar.

"See? That wasn't so hard," came Malfoy's voice from her right. He too was now sitting and started to chat with a dark-skinned boy opposite of him. Ginny tentatively looked to the left to come eye to eye with Pansy Parkinson. The older girl was watching her with an expression that gave out nothing, before she sighed and let herself smile a little. "Ginny, am I right?" She held out her hand and the redhead took it, flabbergasted. "Yes, and you're Pansy, if I'm not mistaken." She let go and blurted out the thing on her mind. "Not to jinx my first day or anything, but why the hell is everyone treating me nicely? Aren't you supposed to hate me or something?"

The black bob her conversation partner was sporting fell into her eyes as she sighed and muttered something that sounded very much like 'Stupid, stupid Gryffindors'. "Why would I hate you? I know absolutely nothing about you. Despite the popular opinion of our house, we are not all judgemental, conniving pricks, you know." And then Pansy winked and laughed. Probably at the face Ginny must have been making at the moment.

"B-but... **How?! **You all are always so mean to everyone!" This just couldn't be! Pansy Parkinson most definitely was not a decent person! It would defy all the truths of the world! Well, okay, maybe not that, drastic, but it sure seemed to Ginny. _She must be pretending to be nice to me because it's a part of a greater scheme. That explains everything! _The rational part of her was telling her this wasn't possible because she didn't know she would be freshly made Slytherin, but Ginny needed to ignore it for her own sanity's sake.

Pansy only sighed again. "Look, you're one of us now; you'll learn how things work around here sooner or later... If Malfoy thought you could sit in the centre, you can't be that bad, and that's all I needed to know." She winked again, a thing she was apparently fond of doing, and despite her will, the redhead felt a twinge in her stomach. _What the hell? _"Did someone call my name?" the blonde on her right cut in in the next moment and smiled at the pair. "Well, I see you two hit it off well enough. Oh, by the way, Blaise – Ginny, Ginny – Blaise." The darker boy she saw before held out his hand with a dazzling smile and when she took it, he pressed a kiss to the back of her palm. "Dude! What the hell?" He only chuckled and tilted his head as he watched her. "What, a man can't properly greet a beautiful woman like yourself? Chivalry is not entirely dead, you know?"

She couldn't believe this. Not only were all the members of the 'Silver Trio' as some jokingly called them nice to her, but they were making jokes and flirting like this was a completely normal situation. Shouldn't they be insulting the living hell out of her? It went against their identities as Slytherins! It had to...

Apparently, the three weren't disturbed by her lack of responsiveness as they chatted away merrily, Ginny catching a few words about their summers. Thank god that the doors opened in that moment and McGonagall led the first years inside. The girl desperately needed a distraction or her head would seriously explode from all the information. It felt calming to just focus on the names being called, but the redhead couldn't help twitching slightly every time a student was sorted into her new house. Man, this was going to be long year...


	8. Chapter 8

**Ohkaaay. So, I know this update is kind of late and I'm sorry about that, but I have a life. Not going to make excuses though. All I can do is hope that you enjoy this next installment. Be sure to let me know, eh? ;) Bunny out.**

* * *

Even after Malfoy and Ginny disappeared into the Great Hall, Hermione couldn't bring herself to move, for the shock had frozen her in her place. The question of sharing living quarters with the ferret was temporarily overshadowed by the fact that little Ginny Weasley had apparently been sorted into Slytherin. _What the hell?_

The brunette had no idea the younger girl was even going to be sorted again, but never had she thought she'd see her wearing silver and green. Yes, the redhead had acted like a true snake all summer, but Hermione never thought there was an actual chance of her leaving the lions' den. It was absurd.

Too shocked to really think about it anymore, she just pushed it to the back of her mind and went into the Great Hall herself.

She took her seat at Harry's side in silence and stared at nothing in particular, but the boy obviously noticed. "Hey! Earth to Hermione?" She looked at him with a confused glint in her eyes before her head dropped to the table with a great sigh. "Just leave me to die..." The gloomy mumble didn't deter Harry though, because he playfully poked her in the side. "Oh come on, what could be so horrible already? We haven't even been here for an hour, Hermione."

She answered him by glaring at the table at the far end of the room. "I'm not saying anyone needs a reason to look at Slytherins like that, but I know you have one. Come on, spill!"

_Oh well, he'd find out sooner or later anyway._ "That stupid git Malfoy got Head Boy! I mean, I can't believe this! How can they not see that he is going to abuse his power? I hate how Dumbledore always tries to see the good in people! That ferret is nothing but a manipulative, conniving little **shit **that will ruin everything!" Throughout the course of that sentence her voice kept getting louder and louder until she was at the verge of screaming. Surprised at this emotional outburst from Hermione, who was usually quite the level-headed person, Harry gently patted her shoulder, trying to calm her down. He always had been rubbish at that, though.

In response to that, the brunette simply brushed his hand off and huffed indignantly. "He's going to ruin everything..." she finally muttered again, and there was a tinge of stubbornness to her tone.

"What are you talking about? What is he going to ruin?" Asked Harry gently, hoping she had a lid on her temper now. The girl had in the meantime dropped her head back on the table, so her friend had to struggle to understand her reply, muffled by the wooden surface.

"My seventh year, Harry. That's what he's going to ruin." She lifted her head again and there was a big red mark on her face from where she had squished it to the table. Harry had to really struggle not to laugh. "I mean, I had it all planned out you know! It was supposed to be a carefree year, but now look at all the mess... Ron, Draco, **Ginny**..." Her eyes strayed to the Slytherin table again, but this time they were filled with sadness. Harry followed her gaze and noticed a girl with a hair colour he would recognise anywhere. Completely shocked, he stuttered: "H-Hermione... Is... Is that Ginny?" The sorrowful look she gave him told him all he needed to know.

After that they just sat in silence for a while and almost didn't notice how the chatter in the hall completely died down. It was, of course, because McGonagall just entered with the first years in tow. Hermione couldn't really focus on the Sorting that followed, nor did she really hear the words Dumbledore spoke after that. It took the delicious sight and smell of the welcoming feast to finally bring her back to her senses. Her stomach growled hungrily and with the realisation that she hadn't eaten anything since morning, the brunette filled her plate without hesitation.

After the dinner was finished and everything was said and done, it was time to go to their respective houses. That reminded Hermione that she now had her own quarters, but not without the unwelcome addition of a certain ferret. With a sigh, she instructed the prefects to show the way for the little ones, reminded them of the password and then slowly started in a different direction. She was, after all, in no hurry. In time, even her amazingly slow tempo brought her to the portrait on the fourth floor that stood before her new home and resignedly, she mumbled the password.

As the painting swung to the side for Hermione, a surprised gasp left her mouth. Slowly stepping into the common room, she looked around.

It was beyond belief. The walls were painted a warm, peach colour, there were two enormous brown leather couches in front of the chimney and a soft, fluffy rug covering most of the floor. It looked like it would be heavenly to walk barefoot on. One window was a beautiful vitrage that would surely look amazing in daylight and the other two were ceiling to floor, not to mention the terrace beyond them. And that was just the main room! To the side, it expanded into a small kitchenette with a little stove and an assortment of teas.

Completely awestruck already, she was now practically jumping with excitement to see her room. Only, she didn't know which one it was. There were three doors: one to the left, one to the right and one in the middle, which she guessed led into a bathroom. Pretty sure that Malfoy was already here, she had no desire whatsoever to encounter him should she knock on the door of the room he had claimed as his, but as she had no other choice, she trusted her intuition and went left. When no one answered her knock, she cautiously opened the door and once again, she was met with unexpected luxury.

The bed was double, made with beautiful golden sheets that shimmered like only satin could, the drapes scarlet, proudly displaying the colours of her house. Furthermore, she had a big, polished desk, a fairly spacious closet and once more, the cold stone floor was nowhere to be seen, since a soft red carpet covered everything. There was also another door, probably leading into the bathroom.

Giddy with excitement, she dropped down onto the bed and squealed as she fell into the softness. _No wonder everyone wants to become the Head of Prefects! The benefits are amazing! _She had to wonder if the teachers' rooms were this luxurious as well. And to think she had had to endure shared dorms and communal showers for six years when this little jewel was hidden here all along.

After lounging on the bed for a while, she decided that she might want to do something productive after all, so she got the Charms textbook out of her trunk and strolled out of her room, barefoot. The brunette had been curled up on the futon before the fireplace reading for quite a good amount of time when she suddenly felt a presence next to her. Marking the page where she left off before closing the book, she now turned to Malfoy sitting on her left with a saccharine smile plastered on his face.

"Why hello there, roomie!" he exclaimed in an excited, over the top way. "We'll just be a minute and then you can go back to bookworming," he winked insultingly. "See, as we're going to be living together, I wanted to establish some ground rules. How about that, huh?" At first, Hermione had had half a mind to just ignore him and continue reading the textbook, but now that he mentioned it, she agreed that they actually **did** need to discuss some rules.

"Okay, I'm listening. List your propositions and then we can talk them over." She thought she noticed a shimmer of surprise in his eyes as she said that. Apparently, he had been convinced she'd immediately jump at him after that statement. She couldn't quite help the small smile of satisfaction that sneaked onto her face at that.

"Sounds great, roomie," he responded, again in that awfully annoying voice that sounded like a stereotypical gay man. "First off, you do not go into my room or touch my stuff and second, who I invite in here is none of your damn business. You keep to yourself and don't disturb me and this living arrangement might actually work. "Any trace of mocking disappeared from his voice as he said that and now expectantly stared at Hermione.

"Sounds good, except that the same things naturally apply to you as well. Don't go into my room, don't touch my stuff and leave me alone unless there is something you need. Do we have a deal?" At that, she extended her hand and the blonde took it, sealing their arrangement. "I'm glad we had this talk, roomie," he once again switched to the annoying, high-pitched voice and left through the portrait hole. With a sigh, Hermione went back to reading, her mind fully committed to the thought of the classes starting in two days.


	9. Chapter 9

**OMG! SHE UPDATED! Unbelievable, isn't it? Or do I just feel like it's been a long time since the last one? Who knows! **

**Anyway, I give you chapter nine, hoping it's not too disappointing. Enjoy it! Bunny out.**

* * *

The dinner was over in a blink of an eye and before Ginny knew it, people were getting up all around her. Having no other choice but to follow them, the redhead let the stream of students steer her and soon they were descending into the dungeons. Realising she didn't have the slightest clue where the Slytherins' home was situated, she started paying close attention to the path they were taking in order to remember how to get there at a time when she wasn't surrounded by the whole population of the house. They were rounding corners and delving deeper and deeper into the labyrinth.

Then suddenly, the group stopped. Ginny started searching for the portrait that would mark the entrance to the common room, but there was none. Now thoroughly perplexed, she gaped as the prefect leading them said the password and a stone door suddenly started sliding open. It sure as hell hadn't been visible before the girl had spoken.

_How the hell am I supposed to remember a random wall in the dungeons? _

Quite a bit panicky now, Ginny was extremely reluctant to follow the stream of students that were filtering into the common room. If she went in there, it would all become real, she would confirm it. From the moment she set foot in there, she would officially be a Slytherin too. Wiping her suddenly sweaty palms on the front of her skirt, she took one last deep breath, strengthening her resolve before she entered.

The room wasn't the eerie dungeon she expected to walk into. Instead, it was tastefully furnished with black leather couches, polished mahogany tables and delicately woven Persian rugs in the house's signature green colour. To be truthful, it actually looked pretty cosy. Letting out a tense breath that she'd been holding, the redhead felt herself relax immensely. Then a hand clasped around hers and she was on her toes again in a second.

"Look who's jumpy," a teasing alto jibed from her left and she was relieved to find that it was only Pansy. Ginny had to actually giggle at that thought_. If someone had told me I'd be reassured by Parkinson a few weeks ago, I would have laughed in their face..._

Still smiling in that teasing way, the older girl tugged on her arm. "Come on, I'll show you your room! Too bad you're younger; we could have been roommates..." The dark haired beauty even winked at her, which made Ginny blush to the roots of her wavy locks. Somehow, she could make her uncomfortable in the best possible way, and she didn't even know her for a good hour.

They crossed the common room and came to two separate doors. Pansy opened the right one and behind it, there was a long corridor, instead of the staircase that led to the dorms in Gryffindor. "I have to ask... What keeps the boys out? I mean, up in the tower, the stairs would turn into a slide if one of them tried to come up..."

The wolfish grin with which the other girl turned to her was telling enough on its own.

"What, kitten, you scared of bad boys creeping into your bed at night?" Upon seeing the slightly shocked expression the redhead was sporting she actually laughed aloud. "Don't worry, they are well mannered. They don't come unless invited... Usually..." Pansy now said, while still leading her down the corridor. _And I'm supposed to be reassured by that?_ _Of course, I should have known Slytherin wouldn't have thought of things like that when he was designing his house's quarters..._

Suddenly, they stopped in front of a door and Ginny was pulled out of her musings. "Home sweet home," said the older girl before opening it.

The redhead was faced with a much bigger dorm than she had resided in in her former home. The furnishing resembled the one in the common room, except for the beds, which were very similar to the ones in Gryffindor, save for the difference in colours. All in all, the room seemed to be better than her old one in every aspect.

"Wow, this looks... Spacious," Ginny commented wide-eyed while the other girls who occupied the room barely spared a few glances in her direction while unpacking.

"I'll hazard a guess and say that that one is yours," Pansy motioned to the only unoccupied bed in the room before patting her on the shoulder. "Girls, be nice to the kitten, okay?"

Surprised at the sharp tone in the older girl's tone despite her joking words, Ginny stared at her back as she left, very perplexed. She just couldn't wrap her head around Slytherin's social system, seeing that her new roommates looked like they were actually going to listen to Pansy. One by one, they got up and walked up to her, the smiles on their faces looking various degrees of fake.

There were only four of them: Astoria, Leanne, Kathryn and Eve. She knew them by name, as they had after all shared quite a few classes up to this year, but apart from that, Ginny had no clue what they were like. Each of them shaking her hand and introducing herself, the redhead could quickly draw a few conclusions.

Kathryn seemed to be the most stuck up of the bunch and it was obvious that even coming close to her seemed to cause her nose to wrinkle up in disgust, never mind the plastic smile on her lips. "You don't need to introduce yourself, I know who you are," were her first words, which she followed up by her full name, all three middle names included. _How much more stereotypical can you get, Miss Pureblood?_

Next Leanne and Eve shook her hand in very quick succession, showing neither disgust nor approval, which was definitely better than the other roommate, but they quickly retreated to their beds.

The last one to come up to her was Astoria. She actually genuinely smiled when she shook her hand and was the only one who lingered after their introduction. "This is exciting! A new girl, huh? I've heard so much about you Ginny!"

Grabbing her hand – a thing Slytherin girls apparently did a lot, Astoria tugged her over to a bed before she jumped onto it and begun chatting enthusiastically. "You have to tell me your story! It was a huge scandal when they threw you out last year! I know that part of course, but you got back in. How did you manage that? And to get into Slytherin, no less!"

Feeling quite confused, the redhead shuffled in her place. _Seriously, what is up with the snakes today? At least some of them are behaving like they should_, she thought with a glance in Kathryn's direction. But why should she look a gift horse in the mouth? Not only was she in a completely foreign environment, she was also alone and had no one to help her through the transition.

"You know what? That is actually a question I don't have an answer to, Astoria. But it sure is exciting to be here!" Ginny answered, slipping a carefully practiced smile on her face. Best not to show how she really felt if she had no idea what she was dealing with. "Slytherin is so much different from Gryffindor though! You guys had me really confused today... Would you mind showing me the ropes, explaining how things work around here?"

The blonde's toothy smile was answer enough.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm a bad girl and you hate me, I know! :c Sorry for not updating for so damn long, but first there was writer's block, then my computer died and I had to get a new one... And after that, real life drama kicked in full time and I couldn't possibly make time for writing. Also, I am very lazy so that contributed to the whole thing... Anyway, read away! I hope it's not too disappointing... It's more of a filler than anything else.**

* * *

The first few weeks of school flew by like lightning. It was easy to fall back into the routine of eating breakfast in the Great Hall each morning, going to classes during the day and writing homework in the evening. Although not everything was like it used to be.

For Hermione, the transition from the crowded and lively Gryffindor common room was both positive and not. On the one hand, she really enjoyed the peace and quiet she had here, but on the other, it often got lonely, especially given whom her dorm mate was. At least he spent almost all of his time somewhere other than their quarters and didn't bother her too much.

But that still meant she was usually completely alone. It didn't bother her when she wanted to study or read, but all the other times, she wished she had company.

Her friendship with Harry was strained as it was because of the awkward situation between her and Ron, but now that they basically only saw each other during meals and class, he was drifting even further away.

Like that wasn't making her miserable enough already, she couldn't stop thinking about Ginny too. She would catch glimpses of her at lunch or if they passed each other on the corridor, but the redhead now seemed to always be in the company of at least one Slytherin. She couldn't possibly come up to her and try to talk if a snake was right by her side.

The whole thing was just making her more and more depressed as time went on. She felt completely alone and like no one cared about her anymore.

It was on a Saturday morning in early October when she was washing up in the bathroom that she stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing her own reflection in the mirror. She was unusually pale, dark circles stood out under her eyes and her hair that had by now grown into a neck-length shaggy haircut looked broken and lifeless. To put it mildly, she looked like shit.

The image was pretty shocking. Hermione couldn't actually remember the last time she really looked at herself, but now she was disappointed by what she had let herself become.

Sitting down on the toilet seat, she dropped her head into her hands with a great sigh. All those resolutions she had made during the summer, what happened to them? She swore she wouldn't be weak anymore, that she wouldn't bend her will to other people's wishes and that she'd go after the things she wanted. What happened to that strong girl who even completely changed her look to show how much she wasn't going to be subject to stereotypes anymore?

The answer wasn't all that hard to find. Hermione desperately needed her friends, but they apparently didn't need her, seeing as their lives went on joyously even when she wasn't a part of them anymore. That thought was the most depressing of them all.

She would have been able to withstand the loneliness if they would have at least tried to reach out to her and go out of their way to spend time with her. They didn't. And that, more so than anything before, made her realise that she didn't actually have friends to speak of. And even the ones she had thought closest to her lived their life merrily, barely even showing that they were now a part of a completely different house.

* * *

Little did Hermione know that not everything was so damn peachy for Ginny either. The redhead was accustomed enough to faking her feelings that she didn't let anything show, but inside, she felt more lost than ever before.

Living in Slytherin was basically like entering a different dimension. It _looked_ like the normal world, but it was like the rules she knew and followed all her past years suddenly just didn't apply anymore. The snakes created their own rules and abided by them strictly, but they were unlike anything the girl had experienced before.

Most prominent was the influence of one's social standing. You earned your way to the top very simply: by being the most powerful. Whether that meant you had an influential family, lots of money, friends in the right places, a position of power, it didn't really matter. If you had the power and let others know you would use it without regret, you belonged with the _crème_ of Slytherin.

Theoretically, Ginny should have been thanking the almighty forces above for her luck in that department. Apparently, the Trio that adopted her as their own were right at the top of Slytherin's royalty, what with Draco and Pansy both being prefects and Blaise just tagging along, using the mere influence of those two and his connections outside of school.

Really, the redhead had nothing to complain about. She was treated with respect by most of the snakes when she had mentally prepared herself for the worst experience of her life. Nonetheless, being a part of a foreign house filled with alien people was extremely stressful and slowly taking its toll on her.

The worst part was that she could never feel relaxed. Yes, her peers didn't exactly exclude her, but unless she was in the company of one of her three protectors all she would get were cold looks and absolutely no sympathy. When she was with her so-called 'friends', she felt better and the more she got to know them, the cooler they seemed. What bugged her most about them though was that she couldn't figure out why they had started being nice to her in the first place. They were Slytherins after all; they must have had _some_ ulterior motive.

* * *

Both of the girls were slowly nearing their breaking points when Draco approached Hermione one evening in late October. She was sitting on a cosy futon in their living room, curled up with a book and minding her own business as usual when he tapped her on the shoulder. "Nerdy, mind donating me a few minutes?"

The brunette frowned at his rudeness, but put down the book anyway and fixed him with a glare that clearly conveyed _get this over with quickly._

"Okay, I'll give it to you plain and simple. Next Saturday is Halloween and I'm going to be throwing an epic party since I have the place to do it. Now you, you present an obstacle. I presume it's clear that you won't be reporting this to anyone… All I need you to do is find another place to sleep next weekend. I think it's pretty generous of me to give you a heads up so early on… I mean, I wouldn't do that for just anyone, roomie!" Finishing his speech with a wink and that awful word he loved to call her, he waited for her reaction.

Usually, she would have just sighed and said 'Fine, whatever', but this time she actually got seriously pissed. "What the hell Malfoy? Okay, I let some of your shit slide…. Now you want to start throwing me out of my own fucking place?" Getting up and hitting Malfoy with the book she was holding she stormed away to her room, while calling back to him where exactly he can shove that party idea of his.

After fuming for a while in her room, completely outraged, Hermione calmed down a bit. _And if I let him throw it? Would that be so bad?_ To tell the truth, she had never been to an actual 'party' in the sense of the word. She knew what high school parties were supposed to look like in the muggle world since she amused herself by watching chick flicks during the summer break, but she had never experienced a proper wizarding party. Those celebrations after a Quidditch match probably counted for something, but all you had to drink there was more or less butterbeer.

With a decision firmly rooted in her mind she got up and stomped across their common room, banging on the blonde's door until he opened it, clearly confused.

"You can have your stupid party, but under one condition: I am so totally attending."


End file.
